Utensil washing machine



Nov. 12, 1940 v. w. CUNNINGHAM UTENSIL WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J52 vein 02" NOV- 12, 1940. v, w, CUNNINGHAM 2,221,442

UTENS IL WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff/orzz Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE I a l 2,221,442 4 p 1 UTENSIL WASHING MACHINE Vincent W. Cunningham, Chicago, lll. Application December 23, 1936, Serial No. 117,349

3 Claims.

The invention relates generally to the washing of the various utensils used in the serving of restaurant customers, and more particularly it relates to machines for cleaning such utensils with a vigorous scrubbing and washing action.

In conventional restaurant practice there are available many, forms of spray type dish and glass washing machines, but as a practical matter the initial cost, the cost of operation, and the amount of space required, limit the use of such spray type machines to relatively large restaurants. r

The primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a dishwashing machine which may be economically constructed and operated in a relatively small space so that it may be used in restaurants which cannot economically employ the large and expensive spray type installations. I

Another object is to provide such a compact dish washer having a novel and advantageous mode of use and operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a utensil washing machine in which glasses as well 25 as dishes may be scrubbed in the same tank whereby to effect economy of space requirements andoperating costs.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a machine embodying the features ,of the invention, the view being taken along the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig 2 and showing the glass washing units in operative position. i 1 i Fig. 4 is a plan section taken along the line 4-! of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken through one of the glass washing units.

In order to give a complete understanding of the principles of the invention, one form of apparatus is herein illustrated and described, but it is to be understood that this disclosure is not intended as a limitation of the invention to this 50 particular apparatus, it being contemplated that various changes might be made by those skilled in the art to adapt the invention to other types and arrangements of apparatus without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention 55 as defined by the appended claims.

In the form chosen for disclosure herein the invention is embodied in a sink structure It adapted to be positioned between drain boards or work tables II and 12m a' restaurant kitchen wherein the dishes and other articles are moved from left to right as indicated by the arrow over the tables II and 12 in Fig. 1, the workers-opcrating in the aisle 'or space A in front of the sink structurei Preferably the sink structure is formed to provide two rectangular compartments 0 I4 and I5, locatedside by side and separated by a division wallflfi. i

When the left to right movement or routing of the dishes and other articles is employed, the left hand compartment l4 serves as the wash- 15 ing compartment and has a conventional over-- flow pipe I! tomaintain a substantial Water depth therein, while the right hand compartment l5 serves as a rinse compartment. In the form illustratedthe rinse compartment I5 is adapted for spray rinsing of dishesor glasses supported in baskets (not shown) on a rack l8 above a rotatable spray rinse arm [9 located at the bottom of the rinse compartment as shown in Fig. 1.' When such a spray rinse is employed a shiftable cover 20 is provided forthe compartment I5. If desired, a slop compartment [4, may be provided along the rear edge of the washing compartment l4. Q

In the washing compartment It means is provided for washingthe various articles which are to be handled by the apparatus, and this means is such as to facilitate the washing operations. Thus there is provideda scrubbing means which, without alteration of an kind, is adapted for scrubbing both sides of a plate, or for scrubbing, the inside and outside of cups, bean pots, soup bowls and the likeyand this action is obtained with the minimum of efiort and movement by the operator. This scrubbing means, in the form herein shown, comprises three similar brushes 2! of generallycylindrical form rotatably mounted on parallel, vertical axes in the washing compartment, the brushes being so proportioned and arranged as to actually overlap and run in contact along their adjacent edges so that a plate or the like passed between two adjacent brushes will be thoroughly scrubbed on both sides. Since the brushes 2| are tufted on their upper ends, the insides of cups, bowls or the like are efficiently scrubbed.

Tosupport and operate the brushes 2| a driving mechanism 22 is mounted on the bottom wall 23 of the washing compartment l4, the mechanism 22 preferably comprising upper and lower supporting plates 24 clamped by bolts 25 in a suitable opening in the bottom wall 23, the bottom plate 24 having three pairs of axially spaced bearings 26 whereby three driving shafts 21 are supported. The upper ends 28 of the shafts project through packing glands 29 into the washing compartment and have transverse driving pins 30 whereby bayonet slot couplings 3| fixed to the cores or stems of the brushes 2| may be detachably connected in axial relation to the shafts 21.

To drive the shafts 21 a motor 32 is suspended from the lower plate 24 with its axis parallel to the shafts 21, and these shafts are preferably driven by belt connections as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus a small pulley 33 on the motor shaft is connected by a belt 34 to a relatively large pulley 35 on the lower end of the central shaft 21 so as to drive this shaft at a reduced speed. On the central shaft 21 above the pulley 35, two relatively small pulleys 36 are fixed, and a pulley 31 of the same size is fixed on each end shaft 21 so that by belts 38 the two end shafts may be driven from the central shaft at the same speed and in the same direction.

In order that the dishes being washed may be handled as rapidly and expeditiously as possible, the present device is so arranged that the operator may pass two plates through the device at the same time and generally in the direction of the rinse compartment I5. To this end the shafts 21'and the brushes 2| are arranged so that their axes lie in a vertical plane located at substantially a 45 angle to the division wall IG, and intersecting the wall I6 relatively close to the forward wall 39 of the washing tank. Thus all of the brushes are located relatively close to the forward wall 39, and sufficient space is left on both sides of the line of brushes to permit free passage and convenient handling of the plates as they are passed through between the brushes and toward the rinse compartment 5.

With the line of brushes 2| arranged at an angle as shown herein, efficient utilization of the space in the washing compartment is obtained, and practically the entire bottom of the compartment may be used as soaking spaces 3,0 and D prior to the actual scrubbing of the dishes.

An important feature of the present invention lies in the neutralizing of theforces applied to the plates by the brushes as the plates are scrubbed, and this neutralizing action is obtained by rotating all of the brushes in the same direction so that the bristles engaging opposite sides of the plate are moving in opposite directions. Thus the operator is in complete control at all times, and may readily reciprocate the plates several times when required to insure proper cleansing.

The present invention also contemplates and provides for the washing of glasses in the compartment l4, and to this end two glass scrubbing units 4|] are provided for use when the dish scrubbing brushes are removed. These glass scrubbing units 40 are of the general type shown and claimed in my co-pending application Serial Number 611,263, filed May 14, 1932, and they provide for circulation of the water along the surfaces of the glass as it is being scrubbed so as to wash the particles of dirt from the glass as the dirt is loosened by the brushes.

Thus each glass scrubbing unit 40 comprises a cylindrical side wall 4| closed at its lower end by a rigid bottom wall 42 which embodies an axial coupling member 43 whereby the housin 2,221,442 A d g may be secured axially on the upper end of one.

of the shafts 21. Within the housing 4| is an axial center brush 44, tufted at its upper end, and grooved on opposite sides to receive the ends of the bristles of two opposed side brushes 45 which are mounted along the side wall 4| of the unit. Over the top of the side wall 4| a rubber guard ring 46 is positioned to define a top inlet opening of a smaller diameter than the wall 4|, and in the wall 4| adjacent to its bottom a plurality of outlets 41 are provided. Thus when the unit 40 is rotated with the water level well above the guard ring 48, water is circulated through the unit, and if an inverted glass is force down in concentric relation into the unit, it is scrubbed and cleaned both inside and out.

In order that the units 4|) may be used to scrub a wide range of relatively standard sized glasses the units 40 are made approximately inches in'diameter, so that the maximum diameter over the guard ring 46 is substantially 6 inches. Thus the shafts 21 are spaced laterally about 3%; inches so that the two units 40 may be mounted on the two end shafts 21. The dishbrushes 2| in this preferred arrangement are substantially 4 inches in diameter so as to overlap a substantial amount, and it has been found that with this proportioning the dish brushes may be made of sufficient stiffness without the use of unduly expensive bristles.

In practice the apparatus is arranged to rotate the brushes at substantially 350 R. P. M., this speed being found to produce-good results as to both dish washing and glass washing.

In the present machine it will be noted that the forwarddrive shaft 21 is spaced from the division wall It and from the front wall 39 a sufficient distanceto allow for ample clearance of the forward or right hand glass scrubbing unit 40. Thus when the dish scrubbing brushes 2| are in position there is a space 50 between the forward wall 39 and the forward brush 2|,,

and a space 5| between the wall Hi and said brush. Upon the Water in this space the forward brush 2| operates with a pumping or driving action, so that there is obtained a continuous circulation of the water in the direction indicated by the arrow 52 in Fig. 2. This circulatory action is desirable in attaining proper soaking and scrubbing of the dishes. Preferably this circulation is in the direction indicated so that the moving water does not oppose the necessary shifting movement of the dishes from the soaking space into operative relation to. the brushes. Also, this particular direction ofcirculation avoids piling up of the water in the space directly in front. of the operator. To obtain this desired circulation the brushes are rotated in the direction indicated in Fig. 2, so that the edges of the brushes adjacent to the soaking space B are moving at all times toward the forward wall. With this movement the brushes, and particularly .the rear brush, tend to shift the edges of the platesrearwardly and toward the spaces through which the plates must pass in the scrubbing operation. the operator, when shifting the plates from the soaking space to the brushes, may rely upon the brush movement to facilitate proper feeding of the plates into the desired operative relation to the brushes.

In the practical use of the present machine it-is preferable to wash the glasses prior to the washing of the dishes, and therefore the batch of hot wash water is originally drawn. to stand at the level 54 indicated in Fig. 1, which level is about 1 /2 inches above the top ring of the glass scrubbing units 40. With this water level proper circulation of water through the units 40 is obtained. Usually, a free rinsing washing compound is used in the wash water so as to facilitate drying of the dishes and glasses.

If desired, the dishes which are to be washed may be placed in the soaking spaces B, C and D during the glass scrubbing operation.

After the glasses have been scrubbed and rinsed, the glass scrubbing units 40 are removed and the dish brushes 2i are put in place. The water level is then increased to the level 55 (Fig. 1).

In the dish Washing operation the dishes such as the cups, bean pots, bowls and the like are washed by placing their edges between the brushes 2| and rotating the particular utensil until the entire side wall and inner bottom surface have been thoroughly scrubbed.

A stack of plates is then moved into the soaking space B, and the operator grasps the two top plates of the stack with the left hand, and shifts them to vertical positions and toward the brushes. During such movement the plates are separated slightly so that they are fed in on opposite sides of the center brush. As the plates are shifted through between the brushes, the forces applied to each plate are equalized so that the operator may reciprocate the plates several times with very little effort. Thus the operator may easily insure thorough scrubbing in all cases, although it has been found in practice that by properly correlating the soaking time with the scrubbing, a single and relatively rapid movement of the plates from the soaking space through to the other side of the brushes is sufficient. At the other side of the brushes the two plates are grasped by the operators other hand and are moved over into the rinse compartment 15. After rinsing, the plates are stacked in spaced vertical positions, in which positions they are found to dry without spots or bl'otches.

I claim as my invention:

1. A machine of the character described comprising, in combination, a tank having a bottom wall and rectangularly related side walls, and a plurality of cylindrically shaped brushes mounted in said tank for rotation about vertical axes, said axes being located in a plane located at substantially a 45 angle to one side wall of said tank, said plane and said brushes being located in a clear and unobstructed area within said tank in positions providing clearance for plates fed between said brushes at right angles to said plane, and said axes being placed so as to provide for contact of the adjacent edges of the brushes, and means operable to rotate said brushes all in the same direction.

2. A dishwasher of the character described comprising, in combination, a tank for containing washing fluid, said tank being relatively large and of rectangular form in horizontal section, and a plurality of cylindrically shaped, power driven brushes mounted on vertical axes insaid tank so that the edges of said brushes are in substantial contact and so related that the plane passing through said axes is located at a substantial acute angle to the sides of said tank, said plane and said brushes being located in a clear and unobstructed area within said tank in posi-tions providing clearance for plates f ed between said brushes at right angles to said plane, said brushes being driven all in the same direction.

3. A dishwashing machine comprising, in combination, a tank having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a front wall and rectangularly related end walls, and a plurality of cylindrically shaped brushes rotatably mounted in said tank on vertical axes, said axes being located in a plane located at substantially a 45 angle to one end wall of said tank and said plane intersecting said end wall adjacent to said front wall, said plane and said brushes being located in a clear and unobstructed area within said tank in positions providing clearance for plates fed between said brushes at right angles to said plane, and said axes being placed so as to provide for contact of the adjacent edges of the brushes, and means operable to drive all of said brushes in the same r-otative direction.

VINCENT W. CUNNINGHAM. 

